*HF* Hell Hath No Fury
By Mufasa
Hell Hath No Fury
"My dear, don't take this the wrong way, but… You simply cannot be goddess of Hell; the position is already filled."
Laren gritted her teeth as the red hellfire shot out from her head. "What do you MEAN it is already filled? She forfeited Hell when she left! I am the rightful heiress by all…"
The HellGoat rubbed his hands together. "Now, you know it isn't that simple. Yes, you were the heir to the throne until Diablo chose another for his consort. I'm afraid that with Diablo… neutralized… the rule falls solely to his spouse, Byron. The only way you could possibly rule Hell would be to challenge her… in her domain. Not that I do not have confidence in you, it is just that there is no way you could possibly be a threat to Byron in Hell."
Laren lied back, smiling. "Perhaps it is time she is attacked where she is vulnerable."
HellGoat raised an eye. He would like nothing more than to pay Byron back for what she pulled on him before with the Judas Stone (See "Feel the Burn" by Blackfire), but his assistance in this affair might alert her to his role in the Hellfire Club. Ryan had dealt his hand well by sliding her into the Red Queen position almost overnight. Of everyone in the Hellfire Club, Byron was probably the only threat. With Diablo confined to the Chaos Realm (A New Life), there was no chance SlashR could challenge him. Ryan was so inextricably bound to the HellGoat that he could never directly oppose him. Mufasa might be dangerous some day, but that would not happen unless he went back to learning "the tools of the trade". He had learned enough to become somewhat sensitive to things around him, but that was it… "I cannot join you in this enterprise, however I can turn a blind eye. Good luck, but do not do anything stupid." Without another word, the woman known simply as Laren disappeared from sight. It was just as well, because the HellGoat had another guest. "It was only a matter of time…"
"HELLGOAT!" The door to his abode blew inward. Standing amidst the pieces was a stunningly beautiful woman with jet black hair and giant bat-like wings. In her hand was a sword made from the rarest mystical metal known to any dimension. Although she had the appearance of a well-toned woman in her forties, her age was unfathomable. Some say she was around since the dawn of creation, others say that she was among the Hebrew slaves freed by Moses. Very few know the dark secrets of this woman… who is far older than anyone might dare to guess. "You vowed to me that Diablo would remain unharmed. What is this I hear about him being confined to the Chaos Realm?"
"Ms. Limbo… please… You are being hasty…" He picked her hand up, kissing it. "I did not do a thing to harm your precious Diablo."
Impatiently, she punched HellGoat into the back corner. "Bullshit! Did you think I would not know how you caused the barriers between alternate timelines to weaken briefly? You allowed Byron to discover the truth behind her marriage and her anger to reign free! Now, I shall make you…"
In less than a flash, Hellgoat was behind her with his tail wrapped around her neck. "No, I don't think you can do a damn thing. You see, you are not in Limbo. You are not all-powerful, here. As long as you remain in this realm, there is not a blasted thing you can do to me. So, I can just do anything I want and you'll have to live with it."
"You damn hypocrite… I hope you rot in…"
"Where? Let me hear you say it? Come on… come on…"
Angrily, Ms. Limbo spat on the HellGoat. "I hate you! I'll live to see you destroyed!"
HellGoat let her go. "Looks to me that you are going to live a long time, then. Just keep that hate and pain flowing, though. Nothing like it to keep my energy coming."
"You'll pay for this, HellGoat. I'll see to it!"
HellGoat sneered as Ms. Limbo left his house. "I bet you will, Limbo, I bet you will…"
The Black Queen Claudia Sandubal walked around the ballroom with her arm around Jack Silver's. She had always been one for parties, but these inter-Hellfire Club parties were another thing altogether. Especially with the recently-appointed queens, she felt even more on edge than before. At least with Blackfire, she knew how to get one-up on her. Considering her positions within the Black Hellfire Club, she had gotten to know Blackfire very well… too well for her good. There could be almost nothing Sharon Stokes could do to surprise her.
Byron was another story altogether. Very little was known about her except that she is an old friend of Sharon's. When she had been appointed Red Queen, it had caused quite a stir because that had come out of nowhere. The only previous contact anyone else had with her before was that incident when that demon went after Silver. (Blackfire's "Feel the Burn"). Other than that, no one was aware of anything. Byron kept it that way, too. Nemesis did not know what bothered her more… that Byron was an unknown… or that Byron was an unknown with unmeasured psionic capabilities. It had only taken Nemesis one failed probe (and Byron's angry glare) to know that Byron was a woman with secrets. Women with secrets were the most dangerous. Remind me again, Jack… Why do we have these inter-Hellfire Club parties?
Silver smiled as he nodded and looked around. Simple, Claudia, so we can keep abreast of what is going on… just like they are doing. He reached out, shaking someone's hand.
Well… let's just say that I'm learning a lot… and what I am learning is educational in a different way… Nemesis stopped when she saw Khalid step down from the podium. She knew that Gomurr had been searching for a cure to his blindness, going so far as to try several different spells, but they all failed. By now, he had apparently been blind for a few months. Physically, he had adapted. Emotionally, he was a wreck. Khalid had always been fiercely independent, which had been one of the reasons he had never put much heart into his defensive training. To be thrust in a position of vulnerability and dependence on others was taking its toll... To his credit, he was masking it fairly well. If Grover had any idea just how Khalid felt, Khalid would probably be placed under armed guard.
"Isn't that right, Claudia?"
Nemesis snapped back. "Of course it is." Silver, what did I just agree with you on? I was… occupied.
Gee… I thought your fascination with him was over after he joined the IHFC… Anyway, you just said that you dyed your hair purple when you were fifteen.
Claudia burst out laughing. She really wanted to kill Silver, but didn't. Always make the best of the situation... Silver, I'll get you back when you least expected. One thing she had to give Silver. He had clearly come back to earth since Jennifer Renault died. (See Silver one-shot) He had even gone so far as to apologize to Khalid and Sharon. Sometimes, a little vacation does everyone a bit of good. He did a pretty decent job of sheltering Alison from the dealings of the Hellfire Club. While she did not necessarily agree with him, she had to give him credit. Those two had really grown to get along.
Khalid Hunter finally made it to his seat. These public appearances were becoming harder and harder to do. He pretended not to hear the incessant talking… the questioning of whether or not he could fulfill his duties as White Rook or even become a dependable contributor to the Hellfire Club. It was no secret that his recent affliction (A Vengeful Spirit) had left him somewhat at a disadvantage. Then, of course, there was the small fact that his… company considered it rather amusing.
"Khalid, I'm glad you finally managed to make it to our table. We were concerned that you might have an accident."
"Don't worry about me, Kane. I'll be just fine." As far as I'm concerned, you can take that superior tone of yours and cram it where the sun doesn't shine!
A smile spread across Darque Feonix's face. "I had considered telepathically navigating you, but you seemed to get here on your own."
Khalid turned toward his general direction. "Thank you for the thought." Since we are talking telepathy, here, why don't you go ahead and read my thoughts right now?
Darque Feonix turned toward Cyclops, the White Bishop. Most everyone, he could easily respect. They had paid their dues with blood, sweat, and tears. Khalid had been a different story altogether. For a charity case as him to have achieved such a position in the Hellfire Club in such a short timespan was practically unheard of. He had seen the paperwork… the files. The guy hardly ever trains. He did not need his precognition to know that "Mufasa" was a liability. Then, of course, to hear that he got blinded because he rushed into a situation? No… The guy had brought it all on himself. While he was not about to suggest to anyone that they get rid of him, he was not about to make it all comfortable for him to be in his position. It was easy for him to pass paperwork down… and the condescending statements added the extra pinch. Khalid's thoughts rang out clear as a bell. The only thing that bothered Darque Feonix was that Khalid did not even bother to disguise them… In fact, Khalid did not give a damn whether or not Feonix was intruding. "You should have seen the baseball game last night, Casey. It was the biggest upset in the ninth. The Marlins came from behind to win the game! That double play was awesome. I… Oh, I'm sorry, Khalid. I didn't mean to bring up the topic…"
Khalid ignored him, eating his dinner. Purposely, he spoke to Feonix with food in his mouth. His personal rule was "when crossed by a snob, act as common as possible." It did not do wonders for the reputation, but it did give him a kind of satisfaction. "Don't worry. I've never been much of a baseball fan anyway. I mean… how much fun can a game be if all it involves is some guy hitting a ball with a stick?"
Feonix clenched his fist and was about to say something when Casey Jones' voice interrupted him. "Feonix, I've noticed that our queen is in need of a dance partner. Why don't you oblige her?" Slowly, Feonix stood up from the chair, walking to the dance floor. He was mad about not getting the response he was expecting, but Cyclops was telling the truth. "Khalid, do not let Kane get under your skin. It just happens that it is highly unusual for someone in your line of work to rise to your position in such a short time. There are members of the Hellions that have been members for years that are still striving to join the Inner Circle. You could say that you have taken a much more direct route. I'm sure that you can understand Kane's frustration."
Khalid took a bite of the chicken breast. It was well-seasoned and fit well with the long-grain rice. "I would think that a man of his position would realize that I am no threat to him."
Robert Maxwell, the White Pawn, grunted as he went at his dinner. He supposed that it might have been some sort of divine retribution that gained him his current post. He had wanted to move up from his position as Advocate, but he had not expected for Khalid to be immediately above him. Considering his role in Khalid's departure, it was kind of maddening to be asked to serve as his subordinate. He's kept his mouth shut… for now…
Cyclops drank some of the champagne. "Perhaps… perhaps not… Just don't get sucked into his game."
Khalid wiped his lips with the napkin. "I've often wondered if everyone here isn't part of his little game."
Daemon…
Daemon looked from left to right. Unlike most telepathic calls, he couldn't place this one. In fact, he was sure that it didn't belong to anyone in this room. He wanted to just ignore it, but he couldn't. There was something about that voice… something enticing… Who is it?
Think with your heart, you know who it is.
No, I…
They are in danger. You know that, don't you?
Daemon stopped eating and looked around the room. He had no idea. All that he knew was that everyone from all three courts was in this room. Who… Who's in danger?
You know who… and you know from whom… Only you can save them.
Daemon stood up. I don't understand…
Don't worry… you will… you will…
End Chapter 1
Chapter 2
There were several reasons for Byron's entrance into the Hellfire Club. She had to admit, she knew nothing of Ryan's reasons for sliding her into the queen's position nearly overnight, however she did know he was up to something. Perhaps one day she would confront him about it, but it would not be anytime soon. No, she needed to start over… gather her wits.
Unfortunately, she did not count on the presence of Jaimy Koppers… or more accurately… his clone. SlashR, he called himself. At first, she did an intense psionic scan. Just as she knew… no trace of Diablo's presence. However, there was a trace of Longshot's memories. The story behind Longshot was one even which she did not totally understand. Somehow, Longshot had been convinced that he was a puppet of Diablo. In reality, Diablo and Longshot were one and the same. Longshot was Diablo's good side. Some discrepancies she could not explain were the difference in their ages, their power levels, their personalities. It was all foreign.
Something else foreign to her was what happened to Longshot that fateful day where she imprisoned Diablo in the Chaos Realm. Inexplicably, he disappeared. There was no trace of him at all. All she could do was convince that damned Essex to clone him from a lock of hair. However, even that backfired. SlashR had all of Longshot's memories, but he shared none of his love for her. Depressed, Byron left SlashR back at his home where she knew he would be safe.
Strange enough, he was back. She tried not to show anything. Although she was probably more lonely know than she has ever been in her life, she did not show it.
She ALSO did not put up with rogue mind probes. She was half tempted to incinerate Nemesis alive, but she reigned it in. No, Nemesis was the Black Queen. That would not be a smart thing to do on the job. The glare she threw let Nemesis know not to try anything like that again. Granted, she was not nearly as powerful on Earth as she was in Hell, but she could still cause a ruckus.
"My queen… Why do you brood? This is a social function. Enjoy it."
Byron's smile beamed throughout the room. "I have the utmost respect for you, Ryan, but… don't presume to order me around."
Ryan couldn't suppress his own smile. Good… that's exactly why you got the job, too… but I better not let anyone else in on it… "I get concerned about you sometimes. After all, if the other courts perceive weakness, then we only ask for trouble."
Byron gracefully took a ladyfinger off the tray. "Ryan, you know we have nothing to fear from the other courts. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
Grover sat at the royal table overlooking the ball. As much as he hated to admit, these were trying times for the Hellfire Club. Hell… it was trying for him. Right now, the Red and White courts were more divided than ever. Relations with the Hellions have gone downhill.
Then, of course, there were the personal issues. Neither Darque Feonix nor Harbinger were too pleased about Mufasa's appointment as White Rook. With his blindness setting in, that only made the issue that much worse. Angelo Torres has been poisoned with a special wolfsbane concoction that is absorbed through the skin. Now, he has to be locked up once every 28 days. Blackfire had become obsessed with tracking down Cassandra Lecke and making her pay.
What weighed most heavily on his mind right now was Gomurr. For the last few months, their friendship has grown rather cold. They did not speak. They did not hang around each other. Ever since Grover discovered the truth about the gauntlets of Excalibur, he has been pissed with Gomurr… the closest thing he has had to a father. Both Blackfire and Khalid have encouraged him to patch things up, but he couldn't. Right now…
"You need to end this ridiculous fight."
"Fuck off, Breslin. Why don't you go indulge yourself? I know there is plenty of alcohol to go around."
Michael Breslin sat down in the chair next to him. "Sorry… No can do. Ben mucked around in my mind for tonight. Right now, all alcohol tastes like horse shit."
"I think you forgot something… We don't like each other very much. So, why don't you find some guy to make out with? (He didn't REALLY make out with a guy… well… not intentionally, anyway. Check out Gomurr's "Whisper of a Memory.") I'm sure you can find a bed some…"
"Stuff it, Muppet; I didn't come here to get into a game of the dozens. I came here out of respect for Gomurr. You need to go talk to him… before it is too late."
Grover put down his drink. Too late?! "Breslin… start speaking."
Havok stood up. "The results of the test are not back in, yet, but it does not look good. Oh well… there are just some things that you shouldn't hear from me…" Without saying another word, he walked across the room to talk to Catana.
Grover dropped his fork. Too late?! TESTS?! What the… Does not look good?! He stood up, about to approach the Headmaster's table… but stopped. No… He was not going to talk to Gomurr. If he wanted to know anything, he was going to have to talk to Dei Lu Zhang. She would talk to him…
"Sharon, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm really not in much of a position to lead. I mean… I've never been much of a dancer… and there is the little fact that…"
Sharon Stokes laughed. "That you can't see where the hell you are going? Don't worry about that. No one else is on the dance floor." The two of them began to tango across the empty dance floor. Mmmmhmmm… Lying to your queen… Shame on you."
Khalid dipped her over and pulled her back. "What? I've got two left feet!" They began again. Nonchalantly, he snapped his fingers in the air. A rose flew into them, courtesy of Marvel Girl. He presented it to her. "Just don't complain when I step on your toes. Especially with those sandals you have on."
Blackfire stuck the rose behind her ear as they went across the floor again. "How did you know? You aren't faking this blind bit, are you?"
"Nonsense. I remember you mentioning how you couldn't stand shopping for shoes. The sound of the shoes striking the floor indicates you are wearing wide-heeled shoes. For some reason, I can't imagine you wearing any wide-heeled shoes for this formal occasion except for white sandals."
Blackfire spun around into his shoulder and back away. "You're good at the deduction bit, I'll hand it to you. I wanted to tell you that I've located Cassandra Lecke. I'm leaving tomorrow to take her."
Khalid started leading them backwards. "If you have no problem, then by all means go. However, at the slightest hint of trouble, I think you should get out. The woman is shifty. Are you going alone?"
Blackfire kicked up her leg and started dancing again. "If I had my way, yes… But this is too important to go in without a back-up plan. Michael is going to meet up with me in Nashville. He has brought some friends. I don't anticipate any problem."
The music came to a stop and the two of them held a dramatic pose to the applause of everyone in the room. Khalid leaned over, whispering in her ear. "Drag her ass back here in a sling if you have to."
Blackfire laughed. "I might do it even if I don't have to!"
Khalid reached out, getting his cane from Rhiannon LeBeau. "Thanks, Sharon." He strode off the dance floor. For a minute, he grabbed his head. Strange… he got a headache… almost like a sinus attack, but different…
Daemon glanced around the room. The voice was right… but he could not understand it. He was positive that everyone in this room was endangered… but by whom? Who are you? How do you know…
You know me, Daemon. I used to feel like this… He felt the build-up… the ecstatic feeling of the Power Cosmic… the knowledge that he could do nearly anything he set his mind to. Just as quickly, it was gone.
Daemon's hand started shaking. Quickly, he put it beneath the table. Impossible! I am no longer the vessel! It has been passed to my younger brother…
No, Daemon. Not the Power Cosmic… but the residue that was left inside of you. You know… Only you can save everyone.
How? I don't… Immediately, the sword appeared in his hand. What the hell? I didn't call on…
Quit fighting it! The only way you can save everyone is to allow me to work through you! SUBMIT Involuntarily, Daemon stood up. He was walking toward the center of the ballroom…
Byron's head jerked into the air. Something sinister was at work. She was sure of it. She couldn't quite place it, though…
Outburst pressed the white napkin against Khalid's nose. "Muff… You better go see a doctor. That looks like something serious. I mean… your tux is already ruined."
Khalid grabbed the napkin, pinching his nostrils shut. The headache had already grown worse. No… whatever was happening, it had nothing to do with either him or Prince Mufasa. Whatever the case, he could feel it happening. "Get away! NOW!" He grabbed Outburst, throwing her into the Royal Tables. He could sense the glow… and the growing. "Everyone! Get on the floor!"
Darque Feonix shouted into the air. "He's gonna blow!" Immediately, he telepathically reached out. If this was another one of these power gone-out-control spells, then he was going to put a block on it. What he got was something he did not expect. A psi-bolt back at him. He was out cold.
Cyclops caught him from falling. "Kane? Kane?"
Khalid dropped to his knees. He could feel it happening, but could not do anything to stop it. The worst part was that he could not even see it happening. "Please… I'm begging you… Get out of here…"
Several observations clicked in Gomurr's mind. No… this was not the run of the mill episode with Khalid… From what he could tell, Khalid was bleeding because he was restraining the light from the other dimension from shooting over. The thing he could not understand was why the porthole was appearing in the first place. "Khalid…"
Daemon felt himself walk over in front of Khalid, raising his sword high. No… You have got to be kidding! Khalid wouldn't… You can't kill him for…
Quit resisting! Submit now before it is too late!
Stop! I don't want to…
DO IT! Daemon felt the swell of the Power Cosmic inside him. It was impossible… It could not be in two places at once… His brother wielded it now. How could it possibly… Finally, it became too much for him to resist. He gave in. The sword cut through the air…
End Chapter 2
Chapter 3
The sword sliced through the porthole, collapsing it on itself. The shockwave caused by the impact threw the two of them apart. Khalid grabbed the side of his head. His temples were pounding. It was as if he had no control… or someone was pulling his strings. He held the napkin to his nose. The last time he pulled this stunt, it was voluntary. All of a sudden, it comes out of nowhere?
Blackfire was the first to reach him. "Khalid… speak to me… are you okay? Come on…" She held two fingers in front of his eyes. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
Khalid blinked his eyes a couple of times and slowly got to his feet. He was still quite weak from what had occurred. The blood dripping from his nose had pretty much ruined his tuxedo. Even the napkin didn't staunch a lot of it. "Sharon, I can't see a damn thing… Did you forget?" SlashR ran over helping the two of them out of the room.
Silver pulled Daemon to his feet. "Dang, Daemon! How did you know that sword of yours would shut down the porthole? I mean… we pretty much thought that you had lost it and were going to chop off Khalid's head."
Daemon's sword disappeared out of his hand, back to its pocket dimension. Really, he wasn't exactly sure what happened himself. Whatever the case, he was sure that telling what he knew right now was not a good idea. "The benefits of having an extradimensional sword… it can be used in various ways." Total bullshit… I don't have a clue why I did anything at all!
From the far side of the ballroom, Gomurr made some observations. After Khalid nearly got killed by Mjimbe, his powers had come under reasonable control. (A Vengeful Spirit) Even before then, the only way he could have accessed his powers was either to be drugged (Hotwire) or for Mufasa to throw a tantrum. Ever since Mjimbe, Prince Mufasa has behaved himself. Besides… the voice stayed exactly the same this time.
That all pointed to something else… some sort of psionic attack. That would easily explain why Darque Feonix's telepathic probe was directed back at him three fold. Khalid is no psion. He has never gone to considerable lengths to learn psi-blocking. Normally, after his power flares on, any telepath connected to him will go crazy. (See Hotwire) So, Gomurr has only two more questions to answer…
Who is the source of the psionic attack?
Why was Khalid the target?
Interviewing all of the psions in the BHC/IHFC was going to be a hell of a task… especially when he gets to two Royal Queens!
"What's the deal throwing me into the table? HUH? I go through the trouble of getting your cane and handing you a napkin and that's how you repay me?" Outburst twiddled her fingers at Khalid, forgetting that he could not see them. "How would you like it if I had left you a charged card? Hmmm…"
Khalid didn't know what was more torture… Dr. Zhang jabbing his arm for an IV or Rhiannon LeBeau telling him off. "Outburst… Look… I didn't mean to do it, I just didn't want you to get hurt; that's all!"
Outburst paced back and forth. "You sure have a funny way of showing it! I mean… I go out of my way being nice to you and all…"
"Which I really appreciate…"
"And all you can do is just throw me away! I mean… I didn't stand around making jokes like some of the other Hellions. I said to myself, 'Self, I am going to give Khalid a chance… even if he was unfairly placed in the White Rook position!' I figured that I owed you as much…"
"And I thank you for…"
"But NO, I guess it wasn't good enough for you! You have to get all snotty and throw me away. You see… I didn't abandon you when you got blind! What did I do? I read you the newspaper… I made sure someone picked you up from your apartment… I got your mail… I…"
Khalid gritted his teeth. Outburst was being nice and going out of her way… but she was seriously getting on his nerves right now. "RHIANNON! Be quiet and listen a sec!" He shouted as Dr. Zhang plunged the IV in his arm.
Dr. Zhang smirked. "Sorry… I got caught up in the conversation. I think this vein ought to work…"
Outburst leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "Great! NOW, you are going to yell at me! What gratitude…"
Khalid resisted the urge to choke either of them. They'd probably get away before he could find either neck! "Everyone has been taking note of your action. In fact, I've already talked it over with the Queen. She has agreed that you are to be exempt from all non-academic-oriented Hellion duties for three weeks. So… you still have to go to classes and train with them… but things like guard duty and kitchen patrol have been cancelled."
A smile grew over Outburst's face. "Let me check that pillow for you, Khalid! It looks a little soft!" She took the pillow off the cot next to him and placed it on top of his pillow. "There! If I can be of any more help, please let me know!"
Dr. Zhang's checked the screen. "Good news… Other than the blood loss and higher than usual pulse rate, you are in perfect health. The spectral scan reveals nothing out of the ordinary."
Khalid's blank gaze was aimed at the ceiling. "Great… and I don't know what the hell just happened."
Byron walked into her apartment and turned on the lights. She had been tempted to do a psionic scan on Khalid shortly after the incident, but in the presence of the others, that might not have been much of an idea. Whatever the case, she knew that something was off about the entire situation. With the controversy already surrounding her appointment as Red Queen, she figured that it would be best not to add to it. "Who DARES intrude in my domain! I can sense you. Show yourself and I shall be merciful!"
With a puff of smoke, Ms. Limbo appeared in the room. "It is I, the former goddess of Limbo."
Byron rolled her eyes. "Forget it." She telekinetically transformed her clothes into something more comfortable and headed toward the kitchen. "He cast his lot… and now he must pay the price. Nothing you can do will change my mind."
Out of the smoke, a sword formed in Ms. Limbo's hand. "I am not asking."
Casually, Byron telekinetically sat Ms. Limbo on the couch. "Good, because the answer is still no. You should know better than to come to Earth to threaten me. Your power is not nearly as great here as it is in limbo. Although you do have the Eldritch armor of the DarkChylde, you have no possible offense against me."
Tears streaked out of Ms. Limbo's eyes. "Please, Byron… You must understand… Diablo cannot remain in the Chaos Realm! The longer he is there, the more likely he is to fall under the influence of his fa-- foulness the HellGoat. Together, the two of them would be unbeatable. All of the realms, including the limbo, the nether-realm, Hell, and the Earth-realm would be threatened. Possibly, they might even challenge the heavens! You must listen…"
Byron grabbed Ms. Limbo and picked her into the air. "Tell me… is this a retired elemental asking for the better of the surrounding dimensions or is this a distraught mother trying everything within her means to rescue her son?"
Ms. Limbo was sobbing. "Both, damn it… BOTH!"
Byron released Ms. Limbo. "Leave my presence now, old woman, and do not return."
"I beg you… consider!"
"GO!" Ms. Limbo disappeared from the apartment, leaving nothing but her trademark smoke.
Byron sat on her easy chair and cupped her face with her hands. Again, she wept for the marriage she once had… and the sham it really was…
The entity known as Diablo watched through the only portal of the Chaos Dimension his wife had banished him to just a few short years ago. At first, he was intensely angry. Then, it subsided… All that was left was his feelings for the woman he married… and his guilt at having wronged her. For anyone else, he would have planned their demise. For Byron, he felt nothing but overwhelming sorrow for the times together they no longer had.
However, his anger was reserved for someone else… The entity known as the HellGoat. Not only had he caused Diablo's imprisonment by weakening the barriers between alternate realities and allowing the events of an alternate timeline to spill over. (If you want to know what these events are… see the original Byron-Diablo saga in the XMBB-verse… Hellstone!) Then to watch as the HellGoat had disrespected his mother…
Primary on his mind, however, was Laren. He was sure that she was up to something, but he could not do anything. Byron was on her own… However, when the time arrived, he could offer some assistance if he had to…
Angelo Torres awoke from his bed, shivering. He couldn't understand it… He was having another attack. But… that shouldn't be possible! There were ten days left before the next full moon. However, he could feel it coming on… The pain began in his stomach and spread to his joints. Then the itching on his skin began and it started to tear…
He started toward the phone. Perhaps Dei Lu could rush over with a couple of telepath/telekinetics so they could restrain him… He could not bear to repeat what happened to his dog a few months ago. The next person could be a human. Just before he reached the phone, a fireball knocked him away from it.
"Sorry, sweetie. I'm afraid that I'm going to need you like this!"
End Chapter 3
Chapter 4:
"Dr. Zhang… a second of your time?"
Dei Lu Zhang stepped into her office and shut the door. Grover followed right behind her. "All right, Grover, what is it?"
Grover uncomfortably paced back and forth. "I heard that Gomurr was sick… from a highly unreliable source. I just wanted to hear from you that it was nothing but a…"
Dr. Zhang pulled the file off her desk. "Take a look for yourself, Grover. These are the X-Rays we took during his annual BHC physical. It confirms what I discovered earlier."
Grover dropped the X-Rays. "The mass down there… That isn't…"
She pulled an envelope out of her desk. "The biopsy came back today. It's been confirmed. It is malignant."
Grover dropped down in the chair, grabbing his head. "Shit! This is no joke. I mean… it can be taken care of… right?"
She shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Grover. It has already spread to the surrounding areas. I can't touch it at all. In other words… there is no hope."
Grover felt the blood leave his face. After returning to his office, he canceled all his appointments and went home. He needed the time to think… and try to figure out what exactly he was going to do. There was one person he KNEW could save Gomurr… but he was not sure how to convince him…
"You can't be serious… This is a joke… This IS a joke, is it not? I mean… there is no way you could possibly… Come on…" Khalid chuckled, and then stopped when he didn't hear a reply. "Damn… this is no joke, is it?"
Casey Jones tapped his fingers on the desk. "The only jokes I have been subjected to today are the notes in your personal file. Now THAT is funny!" The White Bishop started laughing as he threw the file over to Khalid, landing in his lap. "I mean… I find it absolutely hilarious! It is amazing that you have managed to get yourself this far. I mean… that is FUNNY! Part of the requirement for membership in the Hellfire Club is that there is improvement in your self-defense skills. According to this file, you have not trained on a regular basis since shortly after your induction into the Inner Circle."
"Well… My performance career kind of took off… it was just difficult to schedule…"
Cyclops went through another paper. "There has been no record of your training at all since your dear friend came to visit us. You have been delinquent in your responsibilities to the organization."
Khalid gritted his teeth. "Well… You do have a point. I mean… I'm sure you can understand why I have not trained since getting blinded…"
"Nice try, Mr. Hunter, but ultimately futile. The rest of us have professional obligations as well, but that does not interfere with the responsibilities to the Hellfire Club. Everyone trains, Mr. Hunter, from the King and Queen all the way down to the Hellions. No exceptions are to be made for anyone. Am I correct in assuming that as a newer member of the Inner Circle, you were not made aware of your obligation to be an example for the Hellions?"
"I… er…"
"Well… I'm assuming that you forgot. Anyway, your professional resume is exemplary. Three years as an undergraduate at Pentway? 4.0 GPA. One year of graduate work… stopped because of professional opportunities. Traveled for a year with the Nicolai Guriyev quartet… played on four different albums. Recently released your own solo recording. Considering the conditions you entered the Black Hellfire Court, you have certainly done a complete turnaround financially. Your income is still in the extreme lower bracket for the Hellfire Club members, but I can see a drastic improvement. By next year, you should be in the upper middle class…"
Khalid's eyebrows wrinkled in response to the file. Just how much did they have in there? "I'm sure…"
"IQ of 280… Well, we have enough of those… Numerous awards for community service in locating missing people… Although you are not as financially sound as we would like, professionally and academically you have proved yourself worthy of Inner Circle status."
Khalid tried to get a word in edgewise. Gee… Casey Jones seemed so quiet most of the time… but when he got started, he could go on forever. "Thank you, but…"
"Physically is a different matter. Your offensive and defensive skills are below that of even the weakest Hellion. If I did not know any better, I would swear that is the beginning of a love handle around your stomach…"
"Now wait a minute…" Khalid grabbed the side of his stomach taking a pinch…
"Your physical conditioning is about that of a middle-aged man. Well… more like a middle-aged man who lifts weights… I doubt you could run around the edge of this campus in ten minutes."
Khalid knew he could not do it in less than ten minutes even when he could see… "Well…"
"Most disappointing is your use of your mutant powers. It has been brought to my attention that you just recently achieved some measure of control over them… although the incident last night would point to the contrary…"
"That was something…"
If Cyclops heard him, he gave no indication. "Hmmmm… You can communicate with animals and track nearly anything... Not of much use in a combat situation… I bet it is a good parlor trick."
"I think…"
Cyclops closed the file and looked directly at Khalid's eyes. Most people would have been at least intimidated by his stare. Even Khalid might have been… if his eyes worked. "Believe it or not, Mr. Hunter, you have quite a few enemies in this club… in this very court that would love for you to join our queens outside. For a man such as yourself to come off the street and advance to the Inner Circle in less than a year is unheard of. There are Hellions that have been patiently waiting for entrance into the Inner Circle for years and you happen to outrank all of them. I'm sure that you might imagine how people such as the aforementioned Kane might be a little upset. Like me… like Grover… he has spent his time in the Hellions, training, making money, studying, preparing. It cost blood, sweat, and tears to reach his position. He considers it a mockery for a 'rookie' who was just put out of the Black Court to come off the street and automatically be granted the position just under his. You have not paid your dues, Mr. Hunter, and it is causing quite a bit of trouble in this organization. Some of the Hellions have already threatened a walk-out over this."
Khalid did not betray his shock. People were threatening to leave just because he had been offered the White Rook position? Hmmmm… He did remember Outburst saying something to that effect last night… "Really?" He searched around for his cane. "Maybe I should just save us all some trouble and walk out right now if my mere presence is causing the downfall of this organization."
Cyclops hid Khalid's cane on the opposite side of the room. One of the fringe benefits of mucking with gravity around a blind man… "No, Mr. Hunter, I am afraid that would make too many people happy. When you give people what they want all the time, you often create more problems than you solve. Ultimately, they become spoiled. In this organization, we are currently in the process of removing the 'dead wood' that have already become too seasoned. No… Your resignation would not solve any problems."
Khalid gave up looking around. "All right, Cyclops, what exactly do you want me to do?"
Cyclops silently levitated the cane to his hand. "Cancel all your obligations for the next four months. Tell them you are going to a foreign hospital to undergo special therapy for your blindness."
Khalid was on his feet. "WHAT?!"
Cyclops leaned back in his chair. "For the next 17 weeks, you are going to have the most intense crash course of your life. Starting in four hours… that should be enough time for your stomach to settle after lunch… you will do nothing but work, train, and play catch up. I have had Rhiannon… who is probably your only friend in the Hellions… devise a master regimen that would utterly exhaust even the most faithful Hellion… that would also be her, by the way… Two weeks from now, you will automatically be bumped up to the standard regimen for your Inner Circle position… whether you are ready or not. In the mornings, you will train with both groups of Hellions. After lunch, you will report back to the 'danger room' and you will spend four hours with whomever it is that has graciously offered to teach you that day. Two hours after that, you will spend doing whatever exercise program Rhiannon has drawn up. Let's see… that is 7-12… 1-5… 5-7…"
Khalid's mouth dropped open. The only thing that came out of his mouth was a guttural sound. "GUH?"
"Don't worry! The schedule takes into account the needs of practice time for the piano as well as recuperation, so… That leaves you about four hours of practice time, two hours to do paperwork, and six hours of sleep a day…"
"GAH?"
"Well… Okay… I must be going soft in my old age… You get Sundays and Thursdays off… Well… Check that… You get Sundays off and Thursdays you don't have to train with the Hellions, so you can come in at 11:00. Then, you can be out by 5:00…"
Khalid dropped back into the chair. That was not exactly what he had in mind… "GEU?" It was almost like his mind had shut down. There was not a thing he could say…
Cyclops rubbed his chin and looked at the ceiling, smiling. "Yes… Granted, it might be a little watered down because of those days off… but that is still respectable…" He mulled it over. "Tell you what… For the first few weeks, you can go ahead and train with the Hellions on Thursdays anyway, and then we'll see about whether or not you are even going to need to take Thursday mornings off…"
"GOH?"
"You know, Mr. Hunter, I think I like you. You have that go-getter attitude! I mean… you just say 'Go, go, go!' After these 17 weeks are over, I have a feeling that no one at all is going to dispute your claim as White Rook at all. You know what else I like about you? You always are willing to eat some humble pie before moving on. Yes, Mr. Hunter, I think you are going to work well within the International Hellfire Club. Now… Hmmm… I've already taken enough time from your break… you have about twenty minutes less before you get started… Hmmm… Go ahead and get something to eat and report to the danger room. Since Rhiannon had to study for an exam, I think I'll be nice and give you an overview of the next four months personally. So…" Cyclops helped Khalid to his feet and placed the cane in his hand. Then, he turned him around and opened the door for him.
Khalid did not even seem to notice. "GAAAAEEEEEH!"
"So… be at the Danger Room in three hours and forty minutes. Try not to be late…"
Khalid walked into the door frame and adjusted his direction. It was like he was in shock…
Amused, Cyclops watched him leave the office and shut the door. He suppressed a laugh. Yes, the Hellion regimen was rough, but even the first group did not spend 11 hours a day, six days a week training. (He really enjoyed the academic classes during those days… They were called BREAK!) He'll start the rumor that Khalid suggested it himself. Rhiannon had already taken a vow of silence in return for exemption from all any duties not having to do with her schoolwork or field commander position for the entire time period. A ridiculous schedule like that ought to quiet the detractors for the mean-time. Then, the question will not be whether or not Khalid is Inner Circle material, but whether or not he has gone insane.
Just then, the knock was heard at the door. "Yes… Kane… come on in."
Darque Feonix walked into the room. "Casey… I heard on the grapevine that Khalid left your room and could barely say a word." A sneer grew on his face as he shut the door and sat in the chair in front of Cyclops' desk. "So… Can you give me the scoop?"
Cyclops made a face and shook his head. "There is not much to say. Khalid felt really guilty about shirking his responsibilities to the Hellfire Club and came her to tell me that he could not take it anymore. He had to do something about it. It had gotten to the point where he could not sleep or live with it any longer."
Darque Feonix started laughing. "Good! He came to his senses and quit! I knew it would keep happening…"
"No… Not quite. He came up with an even odder solution." Cyclops reached into Khalid's folder and handed a sheet to Darque Feonix. "I thought it was insane, but he insisted on it. So, I told him that I would do my best to see what I could do to help him."
Feonix was on the edge of his chair as he read the sheet. "NO WAY! This is ridiculous! What does he think he's doing? Trying out for the Navy Seals? He's BLIND for God's sake! I mean… at least we had math, science, history, etc. to get in the way."
"Well… He's already finished his diploma and bachelor's degree… In lieu of the 'academic' courses, he opted for private tutoring to better facilitate his 'catching-up'. He's even asked Outburst to draw up an exercise program… He's serious, Kane."
"You have to be kidding. When he left this office, he looked like he was in shock. Why was he so upset?"
Cyclops shrugged. "Why? That was because I restricted his schedule to six days a week. He wanted to go on Sundays too. I had to put my foot down."
This time, it was Darque Feonix that was in shock. "This is unreal…"
"By the way… It's a good thing you came by…" Cyclops bent down, reaching underneath his desk. "Since I will be spending this afternoon sending our White Rook on his trek of self-punishment, I am afraid that I will be quite busy." He picked up a heavy box, dropping it on his desk. "I was hoping that you might see that this paperwork gets through."
End Chapter 4
Chapter 5:
"What do you want, Grover? What makes you think that you can just barge into my office? I'm a very busy man and…"
Grover shut the door behind him. "Shut up. I'm not in the mood."
Ryan turned toward him… amused. "Well… Got sick of acting like the good guy, have we… So, why are you standing in here ordering me around?"
"Ryan… Gomurr's sick. I need you to help him."
Ryan rolled his eyes. "Gomurr? Sick? You have to be kidding me. He's what… 800-some-years old? The only thing he is sick of is life!"
Grover dropped the X-Rays in front of Ryan. "It's cancer, Ryan. Dr. Zhang said that no one can operate. Ryan, you are the only one who can…"
"I'm sorry, Grover… I can't."
Grover grabbed Ryan by the shirt. "Don't you pull this shit on me! You are his only last hope… Now, damn you, you are going to…"
Ryan pushed Grover back. "No Grover… I mean it is impossible. Gomurr's magic specifically prevents me from using my powers on him in that manner. The most I can do is give him a rash."
"Bullshit!"
Ryan looked him directly in the eye. "It's the truth, Grover."
Grover's heart skipped a beat. No one could fake that look. Ryan was telling the truth. "I'm… I'm sorry… I…" His muscles relaxed as he backed up. At that moment, it hit him full in the face… Gomurr was dying… and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. He felt utterly helpless. Finally, he understood…
When Grover was dying the second time around, Gomurr had no choice but to bond him to the gauntlets of Excalibur. He was willing to do anything in his power to save him… and that choice looked more attractive compared to the Crimson Dawn. Gomurr did not damn him… If anything, he damned himself. Gomurr did what he had to do in order to save the man closest to him… the man who in all intents and purposes may as well be his son. Right now, that realization was even worse than finding out about the dark side of the gauntlets of Excalibur. (Dark Light)
"Grover, I had no idea about the cancer… I mean…"
Grover grabbed his forehead and left out the door, slamming it behind him…
Daemon…
Daemon tried to block out the voice. After spending several hours beating up Marauders and Upstarts in combat class, the last thing he wanted to do was even think about Ra… or he should say remnants of Ra…
Daemon!
Shut up, I'm washing my hair.
Daemon turned on the cold water to rinse when he felt a jolt of electricity surge through his fingers. Immediately, his hair frizzed out.
Are you ready to listen now?
Daemon growled as he threw the cold water on his hair and toweled it out. All right, all right… start speaking.
He's in danger.
Daemon wiped out his ears. He hated water in his ears…Who's in danger? Khalid? Why… because he can't keep control of himself?
No… It's not himself, this time.
What? Are you telling me that someone is out to get him?
Is that what you think?
Look… I'm not even going to ask how you know all this stuff. He can get out of it… well… I hope he can, anyway.
Daemon, don't make me jolt you again.
Daemon tossed the towel over his shoulder and grabbed his shirt. Ra… or whatever bit of it you are… I don't know why you are so bossy lately… A stronger electric charge jolted him. All right! All right! I'll go check it out. Geesh…
Gomurr crossed another name off his list. At this point, he has gone through nearly every telepath in both the BHC and the IHFC. With Ben's help, he has narrowed it down to three people. Unfortunately, he really did not want to interview any of them. Most of the telepaths he questioned could not understand why Gomurr was investigating. As far as they were concerned, Khalid and Darque Feonix were both members of the White Court. It involved them, so let the White Court deal with it. Gomurr's only saving grace was that Daemon was Black Hellfire Court Combat Instructor…
"All right, Ben, we have narrowed it down to three people. Unfortunately, there's just a little problem…"
Havoc winced as he looked at the list. Marvel Girl, Nemesis, and Byron… "You call that little, Gomurr? I'd rather go get beat up in Combat Class than interview those three."
"Come on, it can't be that bad…"
"You're right… it's worse! Nem is likely to give me a psychic lobotomy for asking her anything. Marvel Girl will get angry and go all Dark Phoenix on us… Then, of course, I am going to leave the little 'mysterious Red Queen who happens to be goddess of Hell' alone!"
Gomurr shook his head. "Come on, Ben… Have more faith in yourself." As much as he tried to keep the appearance in front of the Black Rook, Gomurr knew he was right. Although Nemesis was not nearly as temperamental as Havoc made her out to be, she was not likely to answer any questions like that. He was still trying to understand Marvel Girl. He had heard of her nasty temper before. For someone who had never been a vessel for the Phoenix Force, she could sure put on a convincing show. Her powers… her current level easily rival that of the most experienced telepath/telekinetics. That, in itself, made it even more frightening than if she actually had been one of the Phoenix avatars… Although Byron was the goddess of hell and the partner of one of the most dangerous men in America, she had more compassion than she would probably ever admit. He would save her for last… Not only because she scared everyone, but because she would probably be the most pleasant of the three…
Michael Stokes sat in the chair next to the hotel television. "Sharon… are you sure you can trust this Chuck guy?"
Sharon nodded. "Sure can… In fact, he was one of the few guys in the CIA I could trust all the time. He helped me access the computer when I disappeared. He even got me all sorts of special gadgets." She opened up her suitcase. "What to wear… what to wear…"
"I don't know… I mean, remember that Theresa Rourke eventually found out who you were and where you were. Obviously, the CIA has some major leakage."
"Something formal…" She pulled out two semiautomatics, storing them in her holsters. "The CIA has always had some leakage. Believe me, Chuck is not one of them. Hmmmm… what else…"
Michael suppressed a laugh as he watched his sister decide how to arm herself. Granted, he never did like the line of work she was in, but he had respect for her. She was his sister. She has really been through a lot. He shouldn't be questioning her judgment in friends. Obviously, Grover, Khalid, and this Torres guy meant a lot to her in order for her to be doing this. From what he understood, one had become a snake, another a werewolf, and the other one just went blind. (A Vengeful Spirit) This woman was not an easy schmeel. "Okay… so how do you know that whoever it is has not gotten to Chuck?"
Blackfire slipped the shurinkens along her belt. "Something comfortable… I don't know. You never know about something like that! Something attractive…" She pulled out two knives. One she stuck in the compartment beneath her shoe, the other she placed in her opposite ankle pocket.
"You're right, I guess…" There was a knocking at the door. "That should be the guys."
"Let them in… but be careful first. Something light…" She threw on her white jacket. It was just enough to cover her belt, which is what she wanted. "And, of course, something big!" She threw her rifle in her guitar case and closed it. "I'm ready."
Earthbound and Farenheit walked through the door. Earthbound's head jerked when he saw Blackfire. "YOWZERS! Your sister can DRESS!!!"
Iceblade shook his head back and forth. Earthbound would never admit it, but he always had a thing for "All right, Sharon, this is your show."
"Not bad… not bad… I'll have to admit, that you are more out of shape than I would have given you credit for, but at least that is a small start. We'll have to see about improving your condition Damn… Four months probably is not nearly enough time! However, that is what we agreed to, so four months it is. I trust that you will be ready and raring in the morning for your training session with the Hellions? Khalid?" Cyclops stopped talking and looked at the White Rook. "Um… Normally we have the Hellions stand up during the lecture at the end. It shows concentration… willpower… effort… It's a sign of character."
Khalid did not move a muscle. They all hurt. His lungs hurt. He hurt… everywhere. He just lied on the ground and blankly gazed up. Damn… the guy didn't have any sympathy at all for his condition. What was it he said? The enemy has no sympathy either. Weakly, he raised his hand up into the air and called out. His voice was raspy and strained… further betraying his utter and total exhaustion. "Um… er… White Rook's privilege?"
Cyclops reached down, helping Khalid get to his feet. "No such thing in this room, I'm afraid. Sorry but…"
Khalid fell down face first. Everything seemed to shut down on him. Maybe he should have resigned… He was still considering it right now… Nah. There's no point… I already cancelled everything for the next few months… Besides… I can't make it to the phone anyway. "I'll try again… when I can…"
Cyclops did not laugh. He really wanted to, but he didn't. The only thing saving him was that Khalid couldn't see the smile. "Well… Just don't spend too much of the night clubbing. After all, this was only four hours. In… about ten hours, you begin your first full day."
"Ugggghhhhhh…" Khalid groaned as he let the drool slip out of his mouth. "Thanks for reminding me…"
"Good. Remember… they start at seven sharp! Don't be late." Cyclops walked out the door to the training room.
Khalid fell asleep right there on the floor. He did not register anything. He did not notice the environmental controls run through rain... snow... sleet… wind… dousing him with some of each. After it ran its diagnostics, Khalid still lied on the floor sleeping. The room even cleaned itself, picking up Khalid and setting him back down to do so… but he did not move. He was quite asleep.
He was still asleep three hours later at midnight… when a fully transformed Dr. Angelo Torres knocked down the steel door… and stalked toward his sleeping form, baring his teeth and claws…
End Chapter 5
Chapter 6:
After Cyclops had spent four hours working and taking every possible advantage of Khalid's blindness, Khalid had been absolutely worn out. The ground felt really comfortable. The dream he was having was something very different. First, he was giving a performance in the Sydney Opera House in Australia. Several Hellfire Club members were in the audience, cheering loudly. The members of his band were strange, though. Blackfire was playing guitar and singing. Nicolai was on the saxophones, hamming it up as usual. Clarice Ferguson was on the drums. (He couldn't understand that at all… especially since he never actually knew her!) That freaky guy… What was his name? FX? He was playing the acoustic double-bass.
Then, it was like a complete scene shift. He was walking up and down the catwalk wearing a Sandubal design All-Weather-Leather pants. It was even weirder with the raining, sleeting, snowing, and windstorm. Then came the next installment of the dream…
Two giant people were playing tennis… and he was the tennis ball. Mjimbe and Cassandra Lecke were slapping him back and forth with tennis rackets over a razor-wire tennis net. Then, he flew into it headfirst, smacking his eyes. After falling down, the voices started around him… talking about him… insulting him… then they started spitting at him… hitting him… throwing fireballs at him… laughing at him…
Khalid tried to wake himself up. He really wanted to wake himself up, but he couldn't. Again, he felt the pressure that felt something in between a sinus headache and a migraine. No matter how he tried to battle out of it, it was like he couldn't… like he was detached… and someone was jerking him around.
Immediately, everything changed. The place he was in was a mess… That was the only place he could describe it. It was a mess. It was so utterly chaotic, that he could not make any sense out of it. Something in the back of his mind told him that he was not meant to make sense out of it… Hmmm… If I'm blind, how do I know what it looks like?
"There you are."
A hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Damn! Whoever did that needs to trim his fingernails! "What the hell…"
"Don't I wish… What's with the blind act? Don't you know you're sleeping? Mortals, these days…" For a fraction of a second, the hottest sensation he has ever felt shot through him… It seared him to his very soul. Then, without warning, it was gone. "Good… that's better. It won't help you when you return to the Earthrealm, but it makes things easier here!"
Khalid covered his eyes. "Damn! This is like a bad drug trip…"
The source of the voice gave a low chuckle. For some reason, Khalid thought it was the scariest sound he had ever heard. "You don't even know what one is like… Let's see…"
Out of a flash of smoke, a man appeared. Two giant wings, like those of a bat, protruded from his back. From his head grew two small horns… almost like those of a goat. His hair… his goatee were both jet black. Around his neck hung a medallion with a large red stone in it. Hmmmm… where have I seen that stone before…
"I'd recognize his taint anywhere… It's not on your soul, but it is in your bloodline. You should work out fine, but it is mostly latent… Hmmm… that could be a problem…"
Khalid grabbed the sides of his head. They were pounding. "EXCUSE me, but you are not doing any wonders for my nightmare!"
The man grabbed him around the throat with his clawed hand. "Hmmm… Won't be very useful to me until about twenty or thirty more years. Considering your life span, that shouldn't set me back too far. Interesting… Been sparring with the Daemon have you? (see Hotwire) Not much… Just enough to awaken some of the raw magic. That should be enough for me to put to use."
Khalid struggled. "I don't know who you are, what you want, or what you are talking about, but I was blissfully sleeping… in the… hmmm… Danger Room. ANYWAY, how about returning me back to my nightmare?"
The man dropped him to the ground. "The name is Diablo. You may have heard of me?"
Khalid shook his head back and forth. "Um… You're the Devil? Oh shit… I should have known… Damn! I didn't think I could sleep through Judgment Day! I know I haven't been stellar, but I would think…"
"NO! I am NOT the Devil!" Diablo moved his fingers and Khalid found himself sitting in a chair… well… he hoped it was a chair, because it felt like it was moving. "My mother just named me after him. He's my godfather…" Diablo cleared his throat. "However, this is not about me. This has to do with you. You are going to do something for me."
"Excuse me? I think you are mistaken, because I sure as hell did not agree to doing anything for anyone!"
An angry blast burst forth from Diablo, hitting Khalid in the chest. In a split second, Diablo was holding a live, beating heart in his hand. "Excuse me, but I do believe that this belongs to you. You shouldn't misplace things like that… It'd be a shame if something happened to it." He slowly squeezed on it, edging his thumbclaw closer and closer to the aorta. "Now, do I have your attention?"
Khalid could feel the tightness in his chest… the pain resulting from reduced bloodflow. "Gee, Diablo… It would seem to me that if you needed me so badly, you wouldn't be in such a rush to kill me!" Diablo let go of the heart. With a flash, it was back inside Khalid's chest, beating rapidly. Khalid sure as hell had no idea how he managed to keep his cool… because he really wanted to panic right now.
Diablo laughed again. "Well-played, Mufasa. Not only do I need you right now, but in the future… Too bad you aren't going to remember a bit of this when you wake up. You have an interesting story, most of which you are not aware of yourself."
"All right, all right… What do you want me to do and what will I get out of it?"
Diablo's laugh grew louder, shaking everything around him. "That was almost convincing, Mufasa… Keep at that and maybe someday you might actually convince someone you aren't the selfless person you are. What are you going to do? You'll know when the time arrives. What are you getting in return? Let's just say that you are already in for a lot more than you'll ever know."
Khalid was about to ask him exactly what it meant when he forgot everything… the entire conversation… the transaction. Instead, he was thrust back into that nightmare he had been struggling with before he left… not knowing any of the better.
The wolf was loose. Normally, it would take ten more days for the lunar cycle to affect him, but someone intervened… causing the transformation to occur ahead of schedule. There was nothing Angelo Torres could do. The wolf was loose… and hungry. The best victim? The man before him… Khalid Hunter. Why?
The woman told the wolf why. Khalid was the latest rung in a long ladder of demon hunters. He was in the most vulnerable position right now… not because he is blind or sleeping, but because only a minimal amount of the latent magic has been awakened. It was just enough to nullify the transfer of any curse such as werewolves or vampires. Although he is not aware of it, Khalid Hunter is now a threat… a threat that must be exterminated. The wolf raised his arm above his head. One strike and Khalid's neck would be slit open… his blood would spill onto the ground… and provide a feast. A great feast for the wolf… the…
A photon blast ripped out of nowhere, striking the wolf away from Khalid. The room lit up and Daemon stepped through. Hmmmm… I don't understand. Photons? I thought that was Khalid's MO.
As the former vessel for the power cosmic… Ra… you should know that light is a form of power.
Daemon did a Flying Dragon kick right into the werewolf's jaw. Before the werewolf was back on its feet, he struck him twice in the ribs and elbowed him in the eye. "Torres, I am warning you now… Stand down." The werewolf struck Daemon in the stomach and went immediately for the jugular. Reflexively, Daemon threw off an electromagnetic jolt. Out of nowhere, his sword appeared in his hand. "All right… You can get your butt kicked or you can surrender right now."
Daemon… Quit fooling around and kill him!
You stay out of this! Daemon tackled the werewolf and put his arms around the neck. Back when he was a merc, he would have just killed him and been done with it. Now, though, he is thinking about the status of the clubs and their relations. It would not be too smart for him to kill the best doctor the IHFC ever had. Right now, he had to settle for making him fall asleep.
Unfortunately, the werewolf was not willing. He easily threw Daemon off him. Daemon had the sword primed… if he had to, he would kill him. Although the werewolf could not break through his invulnerable skin, it could do some serious harm to Khalid… who had… um… finally woke up? Where did he…
The werewolf charged him. Daemon went at him, sword ready. Then, he swung. Just before the sword could disembowel the cursed creature, Torres was pulled out of the way. "What the…"
Khalid held Torres by the back of the neck. "Fold of skin on the back of the neck of certain mammals… like dogs, cats, skunks, etc. The paralysis reflex is so their mothers can move them while they are babies." Daemon walked up waving his hand in front of Khalid's eyes. "No, I still cannot see a damn thing."
"How did you…"
"I grew up on a farm. Excuse me, but you wouldn't mind grabbing him, would you? Unlike you, I am not a Pharoahan blessed with super-strength. My arm is killing me."
Daemon grabbed Torres from Khalid.
At that moment, Marvel Girl walked through the door to the Danger Room. "Daemon! What are you doing on the Hellions Grounds? Outsiders are not permitted without an escort after midnight!"
Khalid used his powers to heighten his senses. It would not do any good right now, but it would decrease the likelihood Marvel Girl would scan his mind. The last time Nemesis did that while he was like this, she went crazy trying to block everything out. "Jean, Daemon was giving me a quick lesson when Torres rudely interrupted. If it wasn't for him, I would probably be dead by now."
Marvel Girl telekinetically picked Torres into the air. "Hmmmm… His time of month is not for ten days. I don't understand what could have caused it? Well… Considering that you scheduled yourself to train with the Hellions in less than seven hours, you better go home and get some sleep." She left the room with Torres being pulled behind her.
Khalid switched off his powers. "Daemon… don't think that I didn't appreciate the save, but why WERE you in here?"
Daemon walked out the door, without answering his question. Something was off… He wasn't acting sure. The remnant of Ra inside of him was acting funny. Then, there were all these coincidences with Khalid. Something was off, and he couldn't figure out what it was. Of course, there was the fact that he almost killed Torres. He had gone in with the specific resolve NOT to kill him… just as he forced himself NOT to kill Khalid earlier. It was almost like Ra was taking over… but then changing its mind at the last minute. Each time, it shut up and disappeared. What was going on?
Laren angrily dropped her hand through the stone table in front of her portal. "Damn it! That's the second time that happened. These pieces of Ra are REALLY getting on my nerves! Every time, I have him nearly convinced… and then the damned elemental fragments keep getting in the way! I hadn't counted on this…"
"My dear, it seems as if your plan is going awry. Perhaps you are in need of my assistance?"
Laren jerked her head toward the HellGoat and shouted at him. "Not on your life, HellGoat! I know what happens when you do one of your 'favors.' You always expect something in return! Forget it! I'm not sharing Hell with anyone… do you hear me? ANYONE! So you can take your 'favors' and save them!"
The HellGoat remained calm as Laren berated him. "Really, Laren… Your arrogant greed makes you all the more attractive… however, it will be your own undoing! I have come across some information that you should…"
"NO! I will not be indebted to you! Now, leave my sight before I make a 'call' to Satan!"
"You DARE threaten me?"
Laren's glare only matched her angry words. "Yes, I DARE threaten you. You are no threat to me, HellGoat… I am the only one preventing Satan from detecting your presence in Hell. Without me, you would be hopelessly outclassed and returned to your Chaos Realm… in pieces!"
The HellGoat surrounded himself in Hellfire. "You have alienated an ally, Laren. I am not one you should cross. While I will not use my resources to attack you, neither will I use them to aid you. Our association is terminated."
"BAH! Leave! I will be goddess of Hell… with or without your help!" The HellGoat disappeared from her sight as she glared at the portal. "For too long, I have taken the indirect route. Perhaps it is time I take a closer reign!" Laren hovered into the air, weaving a magical thread around her. Her black hair swirled around as she chanted the spell. "Now… I shall not only be the puppeteer… but the puppet master!" She flew into the portal, disappearing from Hell…
Daemon felt a jolting as he left the Hellions Campus back toward Strong Towers. The sensation washed over him so strongly that he had to pull over to the side of the road to let it settle in. For the first time in a long time, he felt truly alive… drunk with the power at his disposal. Ra?
Yes, Daemon… it is I. I have returned… and we are truly one again.
Should I not return to my world and rule?
It was almost like he heard a laugh… a sinister laugh. No… Return to your apartment… and rest… we have much to do.
Grover charged into the infirmary. He saw Marvel Girl standing outside of the electric force-field restraining Angelo Torres. Gomurr and Havoc were inside talking to her. For a minute, Grover debated whether or not to interrupt, but he couldn't. This has gone on long enough. "Gomurr… We need to talk."
Everyone inside the room jumped, surprised by Grover's presence. "Sorry, Grover… We are in the middle of an investigation. This can wait."
Marvel Girl turned back toward Gomurr and jerked her head. "Don't worry, Gomurr… Ben and I can finish this conversation. Go ahead."
Gomurr hesitantly turned toward Grover. Their friendship had been strained ever since he discovered the origin of the gauntlets of Excalibur. (Dark Light) Unexpectedly, their father-son/best friend relationship had practically exploded in a matter of minutes. (Whisper of a Memory… as well as a story that SG PROMISED he was going to put up! *ducks from SG*) In a moment of unchecked anger, each of them had said something that should not have been left alone. They walked out into the hall where no one was. "Grover?"
"I heard the news… I was just wondering if it was true."
Gomurr slowly shook his head up and down. "Yes, I'm afraid it is. I really don't understand it myself. Everything in my considerable experience points to some external source."
Grover planted his fist through the wall. "Damn! I should have known! Who is it? Do you have a clue?"
Gomurr shrugged. "Well… Right now, the top suspect is Byron. We really don't know that much about her. Ben and I have already interviewed every other psion in both branches of the Hellfire Club."
Grover jerked his head back. "Psion? Are you sure a psion caused it?"
Gomurr nodded his head. "Yes. There's no other explanation. I'd say that it is a fairly formidable psion with a little magic added on the side. Nothing else could explain the cell transformation."
Grover paced back and forth. "Damn… Ryan already told me that he could not do anything about it."
Gomurr gritted his teeth. "Yeah… I had considered asking him, but I already knew that the source had taken precautions against his interference. Grover, unless something happens soon… it's done for."
"I'm sorry about this, Gomurr… If I had only known…"
"Grover, I feel more sorry for you. You look kind of bothered about it. It's late. Why don't you get some rest before tomorrow morning? Then, we can go see about confronting Byron."
Grover nodded. "You're right… I think I'll do that. We'll go face Byron first thing in the morning when she arrives. See you in the morning." He turned on his heel and left… trying not to show the extent of the pain he felt at Gomurr's words… He passed by the offices on the way out. Strange… Why was Khalid was sleeping on top of his desk?
"Gomurr… Did the two of you get everything ironed out?"
Gomurr walked back up to Marvel Girl and sat on the cot next to him. "Not really… but it is a start. I never thought he would take it so much to heart. Angelo's psionically-forced transformation is really bothering him."
Marvel Girl shrugged. "Well… He's been under a lot of pressure, lately… as of all of us. Besides, I think it is about time this feud of yours came to an end. He's been snappy around here too much anyway."
Gomurr looked through the force-field at the sleeping Torres. "Maybe tomorrow we can finally get some answers."
Daemon…
Yes, Ra… What is it?
How well do you trust me?
Implicitly, Ra… Why?
Trust me when I tell you that the source of your problems is Byron.
How?
Consider it, Daemon… Angelo Torres transformed ten days before the full moon. The lycanthrope process had to have been forced.
Daemon sat up. Yes… You are right… but how do we know it is not magic?
You would have sensed magic… just as you did from Mufasa the first time you sparred with him.
You are right… That was how he hurt my ankle. (Hotwire) It cannot be magic. It must be telepathy.
She was also present at the party when Mufasa's powers went awry.
That is correct… but there were others. How do we know…
I am Ra… the elemental of power… and we are now one. As I know it… so shall you know.
Daemon did not doubt Ra at all… though he had reason to…
End Chapter 6
Chapter 7
The phone rang directly next to Khalid's head. He jerked and fell off the side of the desk, striking his head against the potted plant. For twenty seconds he laid on the ground debating whether or not to get up, but he did so anyway. He pulled his hand on top of the desk and slowly got to his feet. Damn… everything hurt. His legs hurt… his stomach hurt… his arms hurt… his ears hurt… his head hurt… even his hair hurt. Everything that could possibly hurt on him hurt. He reached his hand on the desk searching for the phone. After several seconds of patting around, he finally found it. "Hello… Hellion's Campus. Hunter speaking."
Cyclops' cheerful voice came through the other end. "It sure took long enough for you to answer the phone. So, are you ready for your first day of training with the Hellions?"
Khalid gritted his teeth. Right now, he would love nothing more than to tell that evil morning person to go shove it… but he couldn't. He had agreed to this mess, so he may as well go through with it. "Er… yes. Thanks for the wakeup call. Um… just out of curiosity, what time is it?"
"6:57… I suggest that you get a move on. Impossible Man makes all of the latecomers clean the Impossible stables."
Khalid hung up the phone and searched around for his cane. Damn… I thought I was done with this shit when I dropped off of line for Alpha. Great… the cane could be anywhere. He had no intention of cleaning out any stables. He felt for the doorknob and went out. Great… Hope I don't trip over a potted plant…
Grover and Gomurr slowly started talking as they ate their brunch. For the past few months, it was something they had not done at all. "Well… the folly of my reasoning occurred to me last night after I had gone to sleep. After the first incident, I probably took the correct approach. Khalid did not understand what had happened to him. All Ben could figure out was some sort of static. That was all. It only made sense that we would go around interviewing the other psions. When the incident occurred last night, I realized that rather than go with the process of elimination and give Byron the third degree, it would be smarter to check out the two constants, Khalid and Dae…"
Grover dropped his fork. "Last night? What happened last night?"
"You know… you came up to me and told me that you knew! Did you forget that quickly? I thought I was the one who could go senile…"
"What are you talking about? Breslin told me at the party. You still haven't told me about last night."
Gomurr pushed the plate away. "Grover, I have no idea what you are talking about. Last night you came up to me and told me that you heard the news about someone forcing Dr. Torres' transformation from man to…"
"No… I told you that I heard the news about your having cancer!"
"WHAT??!! That's impossible!"
Grover felt his heart skip a beat. "Oh my God… They haven't TOLD you?! Dr. Zhang showed me the X-Rays and everything from your physical… I'm so sorry… I thought they had told you."
Gomurr stopped as he looked directly at Grover. "Wait a minute… you haven't said a word to me for months… and out of the blue you start talking to me because you think I am dying of cancer?! I can't believe you!"
Grover did not register Gomurr's annoyance. "Gomurr… Look, we can go visit the strip club in Shangri-La just like you wanted. We can check out your Chinese Restaurant in Hong Kong… I mean… You said that you always wanted to go out with style… Man… If I had any idea that you were…"
Gomurr slammed his fist on the table. "I'm NOT dying of cancer, Grover!"
Grover picked up his coffee. "That's right, Gomurr… get over the stages. Sadness, Anger, Denial, Acceptance… Get it all out of the way right…"
"Grover, I cannot even get cancer. That's the way my cells work. They constantly rejuvenate themselves. That's why I look like a man in my 60's. Tumors happen when the cell's DNA is altered, changing the function and type of cell it is. It then multiplies and grows. When a tumor becomes malignant, it harms the surrounding tissue cells, taking nutrients from it. I cannot get cancer, because my cells' DNA remains constant. It is impossible."
Grover was on his feet. "Breslin… Damn him! That was a sick joke… and he got your damned doctor in on it too!"
"Grover…" Before he could finish, Grover flew out the window. Gomurr held up his plate. "You… forgot… brunch…"
Blackfire slowly flew up the side of the hotel Cassandra Lecke was staying at. The others had all taken strategic positions along the perimeter. She let them know beforehand that unless she gave the signal, they were not to interfere. Earlier, she had distracted the hotel manager while Iceblade ran the name through the computer. Why did it seem so appropriate that Cassie was in room 666?
She landed on the balcony and torched the lock mechanism. She didn't have time for subtlety. All she wanted to do was find Cassie, beat the snot out of her, and drag her sorry ass from Tennessee to New York. There were very few people that Sharon Stokes considered to be friends… and when you messed with one of them, you messed with her. She was never one to go into detail on her secrets. Few members of the Hellfire Club are aware that she once hunted down sexual predators. Up until recently, even fewer knew of her stints in the CIA, the IRA, or X-Force. While she had often gone by the name of Theresa Rourke, it was rather recent when the real Theresa Rourke came looking for her. (Dark Light)
She slid into the room and turned on the light. A semiautomatic was trained directly on the bed. "All right, Cassie! Get your sorry ass out of the bed! You're coming with me!" Cassie emerged from the closet behind her, brandishing a knife. Reflexively, Blackfire roundhoused her onto the floor. Then, she retook the aim. "Let me tell you the exact same thing I told a dear friend of mine… You're no match for me. Give up while you still can!"
Cassie threw the knife at her. "Die!"
With relative ease, Blackfire caught the knife by the hilt… directly in front of her eye. "No… That's not how you do it… THIS is how you do it!" Barely moving her hand, Blackfire threw the knife into Cassie's shoulderblade. "See? It's more incapacitating that way! Now you can't move your arm!" She put the semiautomatic way. She wasn't going to need it.
Cassie ripped the knife out of her shoulder and ran at Blackfire with it. "No! You aren't taking me back! I'll never…"
Blackfire stepped out of the way as Cassie ran by her. Then, something happened that even she could not anticipate. Cassie ran through the balcony window, raining glass everywhere. Then, she stumbled forward into the railing, tumbling over. "NOOOO!!!"
Blackfire flew out the balcony and flew after her… but it was too late. Cassandra Lecke was lying on the ground, dead of a broken neck… Blackfire hovered in the air… stunned. When she heard the sirens from the police cars, she flew off…
Byron sat in her office, trying to understand what has been going on lately. She had always been somewhat sensitive concerning the interactions between the dimensions. Recently, she had been sensing more and more extradimensional interference. The other night, when the White Rook lost it, she had been hit with some kind of psionic static. She had been tempted to scan his mind, but as a new and controversial arrival, she refrained. She just wrote it off as an effect of Mufasa's porthole interacting with Daemon's sword. Did she buy it? No… It still did not explain the sinister feeling…
Last night, the disturbance was even greater. She could not locate it, though. There was energy coming from both Hell and the Chaos Realm… massive energy. The energy was so massive that the Hellstone Ring still glowed with its fury. That could not have been a good sign. That meant that someone had crossed over. The only thing bugging her was who that someone could be… Is the HellGoat attempting another coup of the Hellfire Clubs? (Feel the Burn) No… It was not his style to do the same thing twice. However, he had to be up to something… she was sure of it.
One thing irritating about the Earthrealm was that Byron was not nearly as powerful in it. In Hell, she could shape and affect things as she sees fit. Here, she was primarily confined to her mutant powers. To most people, that would be more than enough. To Byron, it was like going from Chardonnay to Kool-Aid. She promised herself a long time ago, though, that she would never allow only one thing to be her entire existence… whether that is Diablo, Earth, Hell, or even the Hellfire Club.
Morosely, she walked onto the deck overlooking the rear of the Hellions Campus. She didn't want to admit it, but she really missed Diablo. She never wanted to admit how much he really was apart of her, but she did not have much choice. She was faced with the fact that Diablo was her one true love… however demented he may be.
She was about to bombard herself with more memories of her time with Diablo when she sensed a massive surge of energy behind her. It was disguised as elemental energy, but she knew immediately that the energy had a darker, more sinister source… The energy was from either Hell or the Chaos realm.
Before she could throw up a telekinetic shield, she was thrown over the side of the railing. She kept it together long enough to turn herself upright. "All right, HellGoat… I did not think you would be stupid enough to fight me here, but…"
Daemon jumped off the side of the deck, landing directly in front of her… wielding his sword. "No… Not the HellGoat, but someone very different. Prepare to face the might of Daemon-Ra!"
Byron lashed out with a telepathic attack, but it was deflected back at her. "How… You are no…"
Daemon's laugh took a character of its own. "You should know better than to cross the elemental of the Power Cosmic!"
The fight began…
End Chapter 7
Chapter 8
"What the HELL is THIS?! He's a fucking liability, for God's sake! No! I'm not training with this shithead!"
Rhiannon LeBeau was barely reigning in her temper. "Impulse, I don't think you understand… You don't have a choice! I say that you train with him… Impy says you train with him. I suggest that you get your act together before I come over and hit you in the face. Now quit interrupting this training session with your tantrums and get back to work!"
"Bullshit! I've been a member of the Hellions… of the IHFC for longer than this guy has even been around. I'll be DAMNED if I am going to work alongside some blind dolt who gets passed right on by the bottom group just because he is buddy-buddy with the White King!"
Tyru sat down, having already tired of this argument. "For God's sake… Rhiannon, just throw him out and be done with it."
Impulse saw the situation differently. "What's this dumbass going to do anyway? Jump up and down and sing us a few tunes? Lose control of his fucking powers again? Tell me… What exactly is he going to do?"
Khalid sat on the holographic tree-stump drinking an ice-cold glass of Coke. "Rather than run your mouth off, why don't you come ask the fucking blind dumbass shithead dolt? I'm sure he can answer your questions… since we are talking about him like he is not in the room."
"You stay out of this… I don't have a damn thing to say to you…"
"Oh, but I have something to say to you. Come here… come closer…" Khalid drank the rest of his Coke and set the glass down.
Impulse walked over to him, still shouting his lungs off. "I don't even know why you are here! Tell me… what exactly have you learned 'growing up on the farm'? Huh? Aren't you some pianist? What… are you going to make us into a choir or an orchestra like you did with Upstarts and the Marauders?"
"Listen, you fucking punk. I was playing public performances in opera houses before your father's sperm slammed into your mother's egg. While you were running around shitting in your diapers, I was out performing with string quartets. However, none of that is any of your concern… Why? Because I fucking outrank you. In fact, I outrank every single person in this room. On my say-so, Impy can change it so you are picking up cow-droppings and taking them to the pile every day. Tell me… have you ever done it? The flies are so thick that they are climbing everywhere by the time you are done. On your face… your chest… your ears… even your mouth. Trust me… I know a whole lot worse farm jobs that you can do. So, shut the hell up and get back to work."
Impulse slapped Khalid's hand off his shirt. "Bullshit, man, this is bullshit!"
A smile came to Khalid's face as he relaxed. "Impy, you heard the man… He wants to pick up bullshit."
Impossible Man reached into his pocket, withdrawing a notebook. "Woohoo!!! The Impossible Cows will be quite pleased. The only thing you have to watch out for are the parasites…" He shuddered. "You better find yourself a decent pair of gloves before…"
Khalid was about to say something when he stopped cold. He jumped to his feet, casting off his yellow aura around him. With ease, the photon staff formed in his hand. Without registering anything, Khalid walked out the door, using the staff in lieu of a cane.
Impulse glared at Outburst. "He's fucking insane! Look! He just walked out of here like he was a different person!"
The busty blonde with the annoying voice dropped the steak onto Michael Breslin's plate. "Medium rare, Honey… Just as you like it!" Without a delay, she bent down, kissing him on the lips. "Nice and juicy… just like…"
In a blur, he was knocked out of his chair into the wall. When his eyes finally opened, he saw Grover standing over him with the bo placed directly in front of his nose. "Let me guess… you finally stopped your fighting and talked to the midget." Loni screamed as she ran out of the apartment. Havok called out to her. "Don't worry, Loni! We'll talk later!"
"Tell me why I shouldn't jam this staff through your nose."
The photovaltic blast that was the trademark of Michael Breslin separated the two of them. "Think about it, Grover." He made his way back to the table and checked out the steak. "Good… still warm."
"You told me he was dying!"
Havok slapped the steak in between two pieces of toast and started eating. "Look, you're the dumbass who didn't try to patch things up with him until you thought he was dying!"
"I should kill you!"
He reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a Heineken. Perfect. "You know… you are so fucking selfish, always thinking about you."
Grover slammed his hand through the table, dropping the beer to the ground. "Don't you dare presume to judge me."
"It's not a judgment, but an observation! You've been moaning about how you feel about being bonded to one of the most powerful artifacts this world has seen… how you feel about Gomurr betraying you… how you feel about your Rook getting blinded… how you feel about your doctor being made a werewolf… Tell me… Have you ever checked to see how they feel?"
Grover walked away, pacing. "You don't know what I've done… Just…"
"I would think that you would know better."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"I'm not exactly a stellar example of learning from my lessons. Mmmmmm… this steak is good. You should try some… but I do know what it is like growing up without a father. The closest thing I even had was my sisters' boyfriend… and even he wound up six feet under."
Grover glared at him through the yellow eyes of his. "At least you had him! I didn't have…"
"Bullshit! You had Gomurr! Hell… the difference between you and me is that you STILL have Gomurr! You ran around like a chicken with his head cut off trying to find some way to save Gomurr. Maybe you weren't paying attention around then, but he was doing the exact same thing a few years ago trying to find some way to save you! This is how you treat him?"
"Look… you don't…"
Havok pulled another Heineken out of the refrigerator. "Keep on saying that to yourself… and maybe you'll even start to believe it. Now, get out of my apartment. I expect to have both the table and the wall fixed by the end of the week."
Outburst walked beside Khalid as he made his way down the hall. "Come on, Khalid… Don't go all crazy on me now! Cyclops is not going to be pleased. Look… the first day was a little rough… Trust me, it will get better. Impulse always had a smart mouth. Don't let him get the better of you…"
She patted Khalid on the shoulder as he sped up. "Khalid! Khalid! Look! This isn't worth quitting over! Are you even listening to me?"
Cyclops came storming down the hall. "Mr. Hunter! What are you doing? You told me that you were going to train with the Hellions! Now, for you to cut out on the first day would be… Hunter? Khalid?"
If Khalid even registered them, he did not give any external sign. He just kept walking… faster and faster.
Cyclops noticed the yellow aura. It was from the notes… that meant Khalid wasn't himself. "Damn! Not another visit from the past life that won't give up!" He reached over, grabbing Khalid by the shoulder. In a flash, both he and Outburst found themselves stuck to the wall, bound by photon cords.
"Hey! I didn't know he could do that!"
Cyclops looked down the hall as Khalid disappeared in a flash of light. "I didn't know he could do that either… My gut tells me that the answer is in the back yard."
Byron barely moved out of the way just before Daemon's extradimensional sword sliced the wooden beam behind her. She didn't even have time to pull herself together… and telepathically call someone else. "Daemon! Listen to me… Whatever that is inside of you, it isn't Ra!" She barely managed to erect a telekinetic shield before the sword came by again. Damn… The sword was unreal! No wonder it had its own name... Anubis. "Daemon!" Byron jumped back again as the sword sliced through her field. Something was helping it… It shouldn't be able to do that. Not without some kind of psionic help, but who?
Daemon's electromagnetic blast hit her in the shoulder. "Sorry, Daemon is not home. There is only Daemon-Ra!"
Byron flew up into the air to get her bearings. She needed to end this fight without killing Daemon… that might mean teleporting him to Hell. The only problem would be that extradimensional sword of his, Anubis. In this realm, it was restricted to just coming out of its pocket-verse and kicking ass. In Hell, though, she saw more possibilities… possibilities that could make it even more dangerous. Yes… someone in Hell knew exactly what he or she was doing. "Daemon, I have been pretty tame for the time being. Do not anger me with…"
A photovaltic blast ripped into the air, knocking her out of the sky. Just before she hit the ground, she disappeared, coming up directly behind Daemon. The momentum created by gravity should have knocked him off his feet. If he had been an earthling, he might indeed have been knocked off his feet. Unfortunately, he was pretty much an alien… Even worse was that he was an alien drunk with energies that he thinks are from some elemental benefactor. Needless to say, Byron fell to the ground. "Oh… I have waited years to have you in this position. It will be a pleasure watching your life leave you!"
Daemon's sword was set to come down when Byron telekinetically held his arms in place. The voice may have been his, but the words were not. They came from another source. Damn it… Who was it? "Think about what you are doing! This is not you… Well… I don't know you… but from what I have heard, this is not you!"
Anubis disappeared. For a second, Daemon appeared to be giving up his fight… when his hands charged with yellow energy. He threw Byron across the ground, into the fountain. "You are right… It isn't me! I am more! Believe it or not you pathetic earthling, I will rule Earth and Hell with an iron fist!"
Byron emerged out of the fountain drenching wet. "Telekinetic energy? Daemon! Ra has no access to telekinetic energy!"
Electricity jumped back and forth between Daemon's hands as he drew closer. "Not now… but after he has dispatched you, he will!"
Byron was almost out of the water when the electricity jumped from Daemon's hands into the fountain. The current ripped through her, dropping her to the ground. She sat for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts… get her reserve… She was not prepared for this. "Daemon… please…"
Anubis came back into his hand. Daemon brought it down, ready to end Byron's existence… "Give my regards to Satan…"
The flash of light happened behind his back. Khalid grabbed Daemon's head at the sides, just in front of the ears. His aura extended around them both for an instant, jarring Daemon enough to shock him back to his senses… and reawaken the dormant fragments of the Power Cosmic still inside. That was not the aim of Khalid's attack, however. The entity that inhabited Daemon was cast out of him, having been thrown in the fountain. Then, a wave of solid light exploded from Daemon, knocking the two of them away from each other.
In a moment of pure rage, Byron transformed from a being of a beauty to one of solid, unchecked power. Her hair, once dark-blonde, turned orange… the color of fire… Hell fire… " LAREN! I should have known! Only you would do something this spiteful… this despicable!"
Laren was already up. The water of the fountain changed to steam. "For too long you have held the title that rightly belongs to me… Now I am to claim it!"
Byron slapped her. "You'll have to come through me!" With an orange flash of flame, the two of them disappeared into Hell.
Daemon was on his feet and almost over to Khalid. He wasn't sure what the hell Khalid did or how he did it, but he had to set him straight. Khalid not only cast that woman out of him, but something else felt different. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he was positive it had something to do with the fragments of Ra still inside of him. Faster than a blink, Daemon held Anubis in front of Khalid's throat. "If you ever do anything like that again, I'll slit your…"
Khalid never allowed him to finish. Groggily, he shoved Daemon's hand out of the way. The extradimensional sword quickly disappeared back to its pocket dimension. His hands grabbed the side of his head as though something was going on inside. "You're a fucking disappointment."
"WHAT??!!" Daemon grabbed Khalid by the hair to hold his head straight. His non-functioning eyes were spaced out more than usual… having somewhat of a red tint to them. Damn… He's burning up.
A laugh came out of Khalid's mouth that was unnaturally grating. "Look at you… Once galactic defender of many civilizations… the savior of many people… Now, what are you? The Scourge of the Milky Way… The Destroyer of Armies… The Demon that Walks Among Us… Long Live the King… Long Live the King indeed! BAH!"
At those words, Daemon dropped Khalid back to the ground. Khalid rolled over onto his knees with his head down. His hands grabbed the sides of his head, pushing in as if it had the worst headache ever. For a few minutes he tried to relax himself and then slowly rose to his feet. Then, it was as if everything was okay… relatively. "Am I outside?" His head turned left to right… he tried to listen for someone. "How did I get outside? Hey! Is anyone out here?"
Daemon was not sure of what to make of what he had just witnessed…
End Chapter 8
Coming Next: Byron vs. Laren… and the winner gets Hell!
Chapter 9:
"So, you wished to challenge me, Laren… but were too chicken to do it yourself!"
Laren ripped open the ground beneath Byron, exposing the lava beneath. "You should have never been in the running anyway!"
Byron threw a string of fireballs at Laren. "Stop… you're breaking my heart!" After the last one, she flew over grabbing Laren by the hair. For a moment, the two of them pulled at each other… the Byron morphed her hand into a talon and ripped a ragged cut across Laren's face. "Oooops… Look like you have a beauty mark!"
Laren rammed Byron into the jagged cliffs. "Your earlier fight has weakened you, Byron. Surrender and perhaps I will reserve a place for you as my servant."
"Let me think about it…" A column of Hellfire shot out of Byron's mouth right into Laren's face. In shock, Laren backed up, waiting for her eyes to clear. "I guess the answer is no!" With a flash of the eyes, Byron had obsidian knuckles on her hands. She flew over, punching Laren in the temples.
Laren winced back and raised her hand. A rain of lava poured down on Byron encasing her in an obsidian prison. All that hung out was her hand. Laren laughed with her voice echoing throughout Hell. "Yes! It worked! Who is the almighty Hell Goddess now? Huh? That would be me! Finally I get what was rightfully mine in the first place."
Byron struggled to gather enough energy to break free, but it was not coming together. It was as if the prison was draining it.
"Yes, Byron, the prison is draining your powers. That was why I made it! All I had to do was get you over the lava and it worked. You have lost the battle for Hell, Byron… and now the elder, more experienced woman shall now reign over this dimension." She reached for Byron's hand, aiming to slip the Hellstone Ring from her finger.
Then, a kick came by knocking her away. Decked out in Eldritch Armor with her blazing sword, Ms. Limbo stepped out. "Not this time, Laren. Not after I searched the Earthrealm for someone worthy of my son!"
Laren's hands glowed as she made a circle of Hellfire around the two of them. "So you were the one that brought her here!"
"Damn right I brought her here!" Ms. Limbo made her strike with her sword clanging against the one used by Laren. "I'll take Hell myself before I allow it to fall into your filthy hands!"
Laren spun around, aiming her foot for the back of Ms. Limbo's head. Easily, she ducked to make an attack at the legs. As far as hand to hand went, Limbo had the upperhand. Cut off from Limbo, her powers were not nearly as formidable in this dimension. If she kept Laren busy… not allowing her enough time to think, it was possible…
Byron tried to keep it altogether, but it was a losing battle. The special obsidian surrounding her siphoned away her powers… her energy. Not only could she not do anything, but she was barely keeping conscious. Even that was a losing battle.
Byron…
What Ms. Limbo had not seen was that the spell had already been cast. Without warning the entire area inside Laren's circle exploded in flames. Stunned, Ms. Limbo was on the floor of this burning mess. The Eldritch armor was protecting her for the mean time… but not much. The heat was increasing. Soon, she would be burned to a crisp.
Byron… Please… Stay in there…
Laren stalked out of the circle of flames like it was nothing. "Enough! For too long, I have waited for what was denied me. I shall have my domain, and I shall have it now." Arrogantly, she grabbed Byron's hand and took hold of the Hellstone Ring, pulling it off…
At that moment, the obsidian prison shattered. Byron emerged from it, striking Laren across the face. Without waiting, she followed it up with several high-speed kicks to that abdomen and a backhand to the face. As Laren was hurtling toward the ground, Byron accelerated her even more sharply until Laren hit the ground. "No one… I mean NO ONE touches my wedding ring!"
"How…"
The shards of obsidian hovered in the air around Byron. With but a wave of her index finger, they shot out at Laren, pinning her to the wall. "Fond of Hellstone, are you?" With a wave of her hand the obsidian fragments took a bright bloody red color, giving off a dark, ominous glow. "Let's see how you like this!" The obsidian turned back into lava as it spread around Laren, covering all of her. Then, it hardened again… this time into the same material as the gem. Laren was forever trapped in the Hellstone prison, her screams cut off by the soundproof walls. "Hell hath no fury as the goddess who rules it!"
Ms. Limbo slowly made it up to Byron. "I am sorry that I bother you earlier. Please forgive me… You made a decision that I should respect… You are the ruler of Hell… and what my son did to you was wrong."
"I'm not saying you are wrong…" Byron brought her hand into the air and abruptly dropped it. For a minute, the ground shook with a fury like no other. Then it ripped apart. In an explosion of fire and lava, he was back.
Ms. Limbo rushed to meet her son, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Diablo! You are back! How I have missed you…"
Diablo hugged her and then turned toward Byron. He approached her cautiously, but slowly. "Byron, are you ready to…"
Byron stopped him. "Hold it… The only reason I freed you is out of respect for your mother for coming to my aid. Nothing has changed between us… You have to prove yourself to me. Until you do so, we will remain separated. Do you hear me?"
Diablo stopped. From no one else would he take this treatment… but from Byron he did. "Yes…"
Without another word, Byron disappeared from Hell.
Robert Cougar was on the plane back from the Ukraine. Again, he had flown thousands of miles just to lose track of this vampire once more. Count Freidrich von Bonn was more slippery than a bar of soap. It had seemed that no matter how far he went… what he went through, von Bonn always managed to stay three steps ahead of him.
His thoughts went to that of his family. Shani and Malik had done well. Stefan seemed to be doing well at Pentway Conservatory. Dante and Dwayne were doing quite well in their magazine business. Phillip was just beginning high school. Rhonda was engaged to be married to a wealthy lawyer. Khalid's career had been improving ever since he joined the Internetional Hell Fire Club. (Thank GOD he joined the opposite court of that Ryan Jensen!)
He had been rather concerned when he heard that Khalid lost his eyesight, but somehow he was sure that it would not be permanent. Nevertheless, he had considered several times returning and seeing to his grandson. He had no time, though. Von Bonn had to be stopped… There was no way around it.
When he received the jolt in the chair, he knew differently. Something had happened to Khalid. He knew after his first visit (Dark Light) that some of Khalid's latent magic had been awakened. At the time, he had assumed that it was prolonged exposure to the short, bald man. Now, he knew that Khalid must have been exposed to something else… something else that could cause that much magic to be ignited.
As the plane ride went on, Cougar muttered to himself. It was bad enough when his grandson was struggling to reconcile his previous incarnation. (Dark Light, yet again.) Although that issue has passed for the time being, this brings up another one altogether. Khalid already had a more powerful nature simply because of his experiences in the past life. The magic he sensed being awakened was potent… more potent than he has seen of anyone else trained in his line of work. The problem was that Khalid didn't know what it was and he didn't know how to use it. Hell… Cougar was positive that there was much more that still lay dormant. In any case, none of it was of any use to Khalid unless Cougar taught him how to access it.
Right now, Khalid was a beacon shining bright to all who would rather see him dead. Yet, he did not possess the tools to protect himself. Blind, public, inexperienced, and somewhat powerless to the world, Khalid was currently in the greatest jeopardy of his life… and there was nothing Robert Cougar could do in the immediate future to prevent it. He hoped that those "friends" Khalid made would be more than enough to protect him.
The HellGoat was on his daily rounds when he sensed it. He had tried to warn Laren to find a different way to manipulate Daemon, but she was not willing to listen. Now, she had rushed the inevitable. It never occurred to her to find out who had been originally responsible for the magic passed down that line of demon hunters. With this person being stronger automatically with his past life and mutant power of photon manipulation, this magic is already pure and concentrated. Placing someone like that in such close proximity to another whose line is similarly gifted was only asking for trouble. She was banking on Khalid not being able to access it. Oh well… He really didn't want Khalid dead anyway. He supposed that he should find out who placed the psionic suggestion in Khalid's mind to free Daemon, but he had a feeling that he already knew…
Khalid eagerly practiced his Steinway piano. After getting his life in some kind of order, it was the first thing he bought. Other people saw it as a splurge… and luxury. Khalid? No… It was a necessity. Let others play on out-of-tune, rickety, falling-apart uprights. Khalid preferred the feel of the Steinway. The action of the keys, the resonance of the harp, the brilliancy of the sound… It easily deserved the reputation of being la creme de la crème of pianos. As far as he was concerned, none of the others could even hold a candle to its beautiful sound.
It had been months since he had even been able to read or write music. (Being blind can do it to you.) For the meantime, he settled for recording the parts one at a time and mailing them to Nick. Did it replace writing them down himself? No, it didn't.
Frustrated about how he let his blindness into his mind, Khalid stopped himself. He got up from the piano bench, and walked toward the balcony, leaning on the railing. (Luckily, he knew his apartment like the back of his hand.) He considered the mess that his life had become. On one hand, his career has never been hotter. (Except for the little fact that he has to put it on hold for the next four months…) Every four weeks, a check for royalties arrives in the mail from his previous recordings. His contacts have been good. Publication has never been better. On the other hand, he did have a responsibility to the club. In some indirect way, they had been responsible for the events that led to his rising career. (Translated: He was following Grover around in Dark Light.) In retrospect, he really could not blame Cyclops for hauling him up short.
As he turned away from the balcony to go to his bedroom, a distinct feeling came into his head. He went back to the railing and shouted to the outside. "Hey! Is anyone there?" Frustrated and embarrassed for shouting outside to no one at that hour, he went back to his bedroom and went to sleep. He had some tough training coming up for the next few weeks…
Across the street, Daemon scaled back down the side of the building. Earlier, it was Laren pretending to be the fragments of the Power Cosmic. She first orchestrated events in order for her to gain his trust. In order to have him completely, Laren would have needed Daemon to transmit one person's soul for her to feed on. Each time, just before she had convinced him to kill, that small piece of Ra flared up to either stop him or stall long enough to be stopped. The third time, she had done a direct possession, convincing him that Ra had been spurned by his brother and had rebonded to him.
Daemon had been awakened to what was happening when Khalid drove Laren from his body. Somehow, Khalid's magic had interacted with the fragment of Ra, awakening it. Ra had reacted by driving them apart.
What bothered Daemon even more was what happened afterwards. Khalid's words still rang clear in his mind. You're a fucking disappointment. Look at you… Once galactic defender of many civilizations… the savior of many people… Now, what are you? The Scourge of the Milky Way… The Destroyer of Armies… The Demon that Walks Among Us… Long Live the King… Long Live the King indeed! BAH! Daemon had heard those words before… just a few years ago… from his own mouth in a time of frustration when he almost died… and the small fragment of Ra brought him back from the brink of death.
At that point, Khalid seemed to be reliving it. The fever… the weakness… the grogginess… everything.
The End